Spice Girls icon Melanie C comes to Wax and Beans, Bury

“Sporty Spice” was at Market Street record shop, Wax and Beans, to celebrate the release of Sweat, her new album which has been available to buy and stream since Friday, May 1.

Fans queued round the block at the independent record shop for their chance to meet the former girl group star turned solo singer.

Wax and Beans co-owner Ben Soothill said: “To be honest we had to cap it at 300 because we only had two hours to do this, otherwise we could have had 500 to 600 people.

Fans gathered at Wax and Beans in Bury for a meet and great with Spice Girls icon Melanie C (Image: Danny Crompton)

“It’s exceeded expectations, it was a great vibe tonight. We had a couple of DJs, there were original fans of the Spice Girls from the 90s and there were young kids as well.”

He added: “It’s certainly up there in terms of the crowds we’ve had. Jade from Little Mix drew a really big crowd for us last year. That was a younger crowd, but this is definitely one of the biggest we’ve had as well.”

Fans gathered at Wax and Beans in Bury for a meet and great with Spice Girls icon Melanie C (Image: Danny Crompton)

Melanie, full name Melanie Chisholm, first found stardom in the 1990s as a member of British pop sensation the Spice Girls.

With more than 100 million record sales worldwide, the group became the biggest girl group of all time thanks to global hits like Wannabe, 2 Become 1, Spice Up Your Life and many more.

Fans gathered at Wax and Beans in Bury for a meet and great with Spice Girls icon Melanie C (Image: Danny Crompton)

Launching a solo career in the late 90s, Melanie went on to achieve solo stardom with hits like Never Be The Same Again and I Turn To You.

She has also taken part in various Spice Girls reunions throughout the 2000s and 2010s.

Fans gathered at Wax and Beans in Bury for a meet and great with Spice Girls icon Melanie C (Image: Danny Crompton)

Sweat marks her ninth solo album and is said to draw inspiration from the UK’s ’90s rave scene, which is described as a formative part of her youth.

A statement from Melanie C’s team said: “Recorded between London, Stockholm and Sydney, ‘Sweat’ fuses her past and present – the sport and the spice, the forgotten teenage raver and the accomplished DJ.”

Fans gathered at Wax and Beans in Bury for a meet and great with Spice Girls icon Melanie C (Image: Danny Crompton)

Wax and Beans has become a much-loved staple of the music scene in Bury and elsewhere across Greater Manchester and the North West.

A regular host to events like Record Store Day, Wax and Beans was named Best Independent Record Store at the 2025 Independent Music Awards.

Fans gathered at Wax and Beans in Bury for a meet and great with Spice Girls icon Melanie C (Image: Danny Crompton)

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The Market Street venue regularly hosts intimate music events and signings.

In a similar event last year, Jade Thirlwall of pop group Little Mix visited the store to meet fans and sign copies of her debut album, That’s Showbiz Baby.